fleblebleb

What do you mean trask isn't typical? Is there news with people in clothes? What for?

Gotsta hand it to tips, she can dish it out Hey, king 5 people, if you're going to talk it shouldn't you at least try walking it as well? A sport climb perhaps, or a gentle alpine climb like da Toof or Ingalls - assuming you could find someone to lend you a hand? I think a lot of us appreciate that you're trying to become more informed but it's still all talk. There is really no way of understanding climbing without getting at least a little bit gripped.

Actually, I don't find the archives to be a great source of route information. There is too much volume, too much spray everywhere (not just in the spray section), and since there is no knowing what has been the subject of a useful discussion and what has been subjected to a sprayfest you can't really count on finding the guidebook type of beta in the archives. But hey, the guidebooks are for sale at the bookstore and they don't cost much. However, the site is often an awesome source of information about current conditions because there is a critical mass of people that go out and sample, and report their findings here. Archives of current conditions are probably of historical interest at best. Furthermore, a good way for outsiders to use this site is to watch out for the bursts of ascents that occur every now and then - if 10, 20 people spray about climbing Triple Couloirs, or Eldo NW Couloir, or Chair NF, or Stuart N Ridge, then you can probably expect the route to be in passable condition and grab your chance to go for it without having to put much thought into subleties - and it doesn't matter whether all the posts were mostly gremlins. If on the other hand there is lots of spray about a route but no repeats then you better stay the hell off unless you know what you're doing. I'm not headed for Johannesburg in the middle of a winter storm cycle myself, thank you very much, but it was entertaining to read about. Finally, when all the stars are properly aligned some of the usual suspects exchanging jokes and banter all day long can be an incredible source of beta, including details such as what particular pieces to bring that are seldom included in the guidebook descriptions. It starts with spray and is all about PMs and phonecalls from there. If you feel excluded then show up at the pub a few times, hook up with some people and go climbing, and you'll soon have figured out that reading the posts only gets you a lousy facsimile of the board. To wrap up, filter the spray out and all you'll have accomplished is not knowing sarcasm from honesty anymore; expect beta for nothing (not even jokes) in return, and all you'll get is probably scorn.

I tried locking my mountaineering boots into my cable tele bindings once, it seemed fine on the living room floor but was incredibly painful on the snow. The muscles in my feet were getting a beating. I barely made it from the Baker ski area parking lot to Pan Dome Falls and back. I don't think you can get more simple/cheap/lightweight bindings, but unfortunately that's not an option in my book. I'd be entertained if you went ahead and duct-taped the skis to your boots Why not just snowshoe?

Silvrettas. Jim has the nice ones. Old ones are hard to come by except mounted on old skis... try Second Ascent maybe?

Post deleted by fleblebleb

Fogeddaboudid It's warts and all, or nothing at all

Err, no. If you can't get up the hill without using your hands as well as your feet then that's technical climbing. There are other forms of mountaineering than technical climbing - but driving up a Colorado fourteener doesn't count as any of them. Under the right circumstances all the WA volcanos can be hiked, i.e. it is possible to walk up and down without any special equipment and without getting hurt. Of course it's also possible to get fubared.

Hah, that's sweet irony In other words you think we've been subsidizing French climbers when we've bought BD gear.

I don't know anything about yoga. How do I find out?

I thought about that. But nah, then I'd just have to spend more time working

That's the spirit. I'm going too, if I possibly can.

About a month ago I was in deep shit with my elbows, due to continuous keyboard hammering and mousing, and pulling too hard at the gym for a week or two after not climbing much for two weeks while preoccupied with work. Both the biceps and the forearm muscles that bend the finger and wrist were continuously sore and simply lifting my hand was sometimes enough to feel pain in the elbow joint. I took two weeks off everything, then started doing weights exercises for all the muscles that straighten the arm - the opposing forearm muscles, triceps, shoulders and pecs - and aided instead of free climbing. I'm also stretching a lot. Note that I can't really lay off the keyboard, but I try to mouse with my left hand now since the right elbow was (is) in the worse shape. I don't use the computer any less than I used to. My elbows are much much better now so this seems to be working for me. I've also become super motivated to improve my footwork. I'm going to start alpine climbing again this weekend, and free climbing steep rock in two weeks or so. Anybody else have a similar condition and advice for tackling the problem? If anyone is really into yoga or stretching I'd like to hear from you. Is there some kind of 'encyclopaedia of stretching' book that isn't ridiculously expensive?

I'm doing the same thing. I wasn't comfortable starting out solo but now I'm ready. It really helped to go with other aid gumbies a couple of times, then with a partner who knows his shit. PM me if you're in Seattle and want to go aid.

Oops, the plot breaks down... Consider that climbers are usually confined to a route and the descent and therefore not hard to locate - perhaps except if they're volcano slogging, which is more like hiking anyway. Hikers on the other hand often ramble all over the place and have to be searched for over areas measured in square miles.

Crikey! 150-300 right after quite a few on the run! Methinks you need a soothing cup of hot chocolate and a good book

Exactly, a pair of Koflach Asolo something or the others. Useful for you

If you don't start making vodka jokes I will ask the admins to close your friggin' account because of ethnic misrepresentation Hmm... how about a vodka gremlin?

So was it the Laytonomicon?

Right-o, the Marblemount rangers mostly rock. That's not new

For real? What and where is the Sloop, and since there is a crawl could we decide on a more exact time? Actually, scratch that, I'm climbing tomorrow. Don't know whether to make a smiley face or a frowney face Hmm... I'm not climbing Sunday - just in case y'all are still wrangling about the evening... :hopeful:

Woo-hoo, the turd TR was a classic.

Both. But nobody proposed that climbers would have to buy the units, or at least I don't think so. Instead the proposed model was probably something like checking out a locator unit during opening hours at Timberline There is a bit of a "gadgets are cheating" ethic.

One argument claims that rescue fees or rescue insurance would lead to SAR unit liability and vulnerability to lawsuits, which again would lead to rescuer insurance (kind of like medical malpractice insurance) and likely kill off the voluntary rescue squads.